Roses are Forever
by UsedLove
Summary: A young girl shows up at Wolfram and Hart that may know more about the gang then even they do. She reveals many secrets to some of the gang that leave them shocked and disbelieving.


**Title: Roses are Forever**

**-Day Dreaming-**

Past: Buffy sat on the couch watching Passions. She had been flipping through the channels when she stopped on it. Tears formed in her eyes while remembering the one time Spike had talked her into watching it with him after they had...gotten together. She had protested against it, but eventually gave in when he started wispering sweet nothings into her ear. Buffy was shaken out of the warmth of the memory as she heared a girl's voice call.  
"Mom?" she heared, noticing her daughter had entered the room, "You okay?"  
"I'm fine," Buffy answered motioning her daughter forward, "Just daydreaming..."  
Buffy ran her fingers through the twelve year old's beautiful blonde hair.  
"...'bout daddy?" the girl asked and Buffy's hands stopped.  
"...yeah..."Buffy replied pushing a strand behind the girl's ear.  
"Tell me another story about him..." the girl asked getting compfortable.  
"Well, there was this one time when we all lost our memories and Spike thought he was Giles' son and thought his name was Randy..." Buffy began.  
After the story's finish, she looked down to see that the girl had fallen asleep. Buffy lifted her up ever-so-gently and returned her to her bed. Buffy then went into her own room, but instead of getting into bed herself, she dug through the trunk at the end of her bed and pulled out a tape. She would never had guessed it at the time, but one of Andrew's tapes had served some use. She placed the tape into the VCR and Spike came up as she pushed 'play'. He was yelling at Andrew, but he was interrupted as Andrew said, "Uh, Spike, the light's behind you..." and Spike stopped and moved back into the light. Buffy laughed at the scene, but the laugh soon turned into tears.  
Buffy fell asleep in front of the VCR, the thoughts of Spike following her even in her dreams. Her daughter, Alexandra Joan Summers, walked in to wake her mother up after not getting the usual morning wake-up call/waffle time. She stopped at Buffy's door, seeing her laying horizontally on the edge of her bed while the tv screen glowed blue. Alex walked over to the tv, being as quiet as possible so as not to wake her, and pushed the 'play' button. She immediately turned the volume to were only she could here it. She saw the blonde man on the screan and didn't really pay attention until she heared the name Spike. She fell to her knees to be even with the screen and pushed pause, staring at the man on it. 

"Daddy?" she wispered touching the screen.  
Buffy's eyes fluttered open and she let the scene some into focus before jumping onto her feet and rushing toward Alex pulling her into a hug and stopping the tape.  
"Daddy???" Alex said louder reaching for the tv as tears streamed down her face.  
"Baby," Buffy said trying not to cry herself, "It's okay..."  
"Mom, I miss him so much..." Alex sobbed.  
"I know, sweety, I do too...but he's gone..." Buffy had said the last part so quietly that Alex hadn't heared it.  
Alex's usually bright blue eyes were now cloudy from tears, and her silky white skin had red blotches on it. Alex had gotten most of Spike's looks, including his skin, his eyes, and his bone structure, but she had gotten her hair and nose from Buffy. She had also, unfortunately gotten her stubborness from Buffy and her leadership. Buffy knew she was special from the moment she was born but it was proven when she was twenty-three months old and began walking. Buffy eventually learned that she had inherrited some other...unique qualities from Buffy and Spike, like her strength, ability to sence danger, and her excellent eyesight, even in the dark. Buffy hadn't shown her the tape, wanting her to be older, but it seemed that that wasn't a choice anymore. The two blondes sat, holding each other like that for about half an hour before retreating downstairs for breakfast. They had a long talk ahead of them that Buffy had expected to come a little later on than this.

**-Back at W&H-**

Today: Spike sat at the long conference table pretending to listen as the great ponce gave another one of his grand speeches on how we're supposedly 'making a difference'. Spike's mind, however, was elsewhere. It was on the same thing it always was...her. He played with his pen while he thought and didn't even notice Angel's stare had fallen onto him.  
"Spike?" Angel finally said, "still with us?"  
He snapped out of the daydream and realized he hadn't taken in anything of what they had said.

"...Uh...yeah," he answered dumbly.  
"Well, then, want to tell me what I just said?" Angel asked annoyingly.  
"No...listen, if there's not any particular reason for me being here, then why don't I just go..." Spike snapped.  
"Fine...if I need someone to come in here and not listen to a word I have to say then I'll get Harmony..." Angel snapped back.  
Spike huffed and angrilly walked out the door, slamming it as he exited.  
"Okay," Angel said turning to the others, "Now that that's over..."  
"What was that all about?" Gunn asked still looking at the door as if he expected Spike to come back through it.  
Spike, in more of a frustrated than angry way, kicked over the trash can beside him. Which caused Harmony to almost jump out of her nearby desk. Spike stalked off before she could yell at him for scaring her, though. He walked into the training room and looked over at where Illyria stood studying him.  
"You reak of grief and anger..." Illyria commented.  
"Yeah thanks, love," Spike said bitterly, "Know the weather too?"  
"You're taking your anger out on me to try and lessen the hurt..." she added.  
"...Just fight..." Spike stated flattly, his eyes lacking any emotion.  
Illyria tilted her head and replied, "As you wish..." As if his request was an everyday statement.  
Angel stood behind the glass watching them. He knew immediately why Spike had lashed out, what he had been thinking about, and how he was feeling. He knew because he felt it too, every day.

**-Who Are You?-**

Meanwhile, in an ally, a girl of about the age of fifteen stood at the opening of an ally about three blocks from Wolfram and Hart. She walked down the sidewalks looking around and asking questions from the people who passed her. She eventually made it to the large law ferm. She entered the lobby and approached a desk that a blonde woman sat at, filing her nails.  
"Hi, welcome to Wolfram and Hart can I help you?" Harmony asked not looking up.  
"I'm looking for Spike," the girl said in a not polite but not rude tone.  
Harmony looked up to see a blonde, blue eyed girl whom bared quite a resemblance to a certain bleach blonde vampire she knew.  
"Um, sure," Harmony replied feeling a little weirded out, "I think he's in the training room...down the hall, to the left and it's the fifth door on the right..."  
"Thanks," the girl said walking off toward the hall she'd been instructed toward.

"Angel," Harmony said knocking on his office door.  
"Come in..." he said from his desk.  
"There's a blonde girl looking for Spike..." she informed him.  
"He's not in here," Angel said returning to his papers.  
"I know...It's weird, though," she added, "She looks just like him..."  
Angel looked up at her.  
"What do you mean?" he asked confused.  
"You know, same eyes, same cheekbones," she replied and then added, "same non-friendlyness..."  
The girl went into the room and saw the same bleach-blonde vampire she'd heared stories about since she was little, fighting a woman or maybe a demon, she didn't really know. She had blue hair and a strange-looking outfit. She then focused her attention on him; he moved like he had it all planned out...didn't look surprized by anything. She could see the resemblance of them even better in person than on the tape. Her mom and the others weren't exaggerating when they talked about her looking like him. "I can see why it was hard for her to talk to me about him at first..." She thought.  
"Spike..." she said from behind him. He turned around to face her and Illyria turned her gaze toward her too. Spike looked the blonde, blue-eyed girl over that was standing before him. He finally spoke up after a few moments of silence, "Do I know you?"  
"Not really..." she answered, "You haven't changed a bit..."  
"Well," Spike said, "...Who are you?"  
"Oh, yeah," she said realizing she hadn't told him yet, "...I'm kinda your daughter..."  
  
**-Becoming A Believer-**

"My what???" Spike asked thinking he'd heared her wrong.  
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true..." she answered.  
"Are you sure you've got the right guy," he said feeling very confused.  
"Oh, yeah," she replied, "'Cause there are soooo many Spikes out there..."  
"It's impossible...I can't have kids!" he stated, saying the last part in a very clear way, as if she were a forigner who couldn't understand English.  
"I knew you wouldn't believe me..." she said ignoring the tone of his voice.  
"Bloody right, I don't believe you!" he said starting to get angry.  
"You don't have to yell..." she said coolly, "I'm right here."  
"...Who are you?" he asked pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.  
"Alex..." she stated then corrected herself, "Alexandra Joan Summers..."  
Spike stopped mid-light and looked at her. He then noticed the resemblance between her and himself and her and Buffy. He quickly shook the thought out of his head.  
"Well, Pet, that's where you just messed up your lit'tle story...see me and Buffy..." he started, "...Well, how old are you?"  
"Fifteen," she answered simply.  
"Me and Buffy only...got together two years ago..." he stated, taking a puff of the cigarette.  
"I'm not from this time...I'm from the future..." she said as if that were an every day thing to say.  
"Oh," he said pretending like it suddenly made sense, "from the future, eh? Everything suddenly makes sense!"  
Spike began to turn away but was stopped as she spoke again.  
"I can prove it..." she said simply and he stopped dead in his tracks.  
"...How?" he asked not looking back.  
She walked up to him and pulled out a picture of an older but still beautiful Buffy hugging her by a Christmas tree and a much more mature looking Dawn sat in the background.  
"That was us last Christmas..." she said, "Well, last Christmas for me at least...it hasn't happened for them, yet..."  
He stood for a minute looking at the picture and fighting back tears before he finally spoke.  
"Come with me..." he said and she followed as he exited the door.  
"Where are we going?" she asked walking quickly behind him.  
"...To see Angel..." he answered not looking at her.  
She stopped momentarilly at his name.  
"...Angel..." she said under her breath but then continued after him.  
  
**-Angel-**  
  
The two walked quickly down the hall and passed Harmony's desk.  
"He's in a meeting-" she called after them but got no reaction.  
Spike burst through the doors, into the room, and over to the table. Angel sat there with Gunn at his left and a very scared-looking teenage girl of about eighteen years of age at his right.  
"We need to talk..." Spike said simply to Angel.  
"Can it wait?" he replied angrilly, "I'm in a meeting."  
Spike stepped to the side to let Angel see the girl behind him.  
Angel's eyes widened as he saw the girl who did indeed look like Spike.  
"We'll have to reschedule..." Angel said still looking at Alex, "Something's come up..."  
Gunn took the other young girl outside to speak with her and give the others privacy.  
"She says she's from the future and that she's my daughter..." he told Angel and then turned to look at her again, "Show him the picture..."  
Alex pulled out the picture and handed it to him. This wasn't her first encounter with Angel; she'd met him when she was ten and he had surprized Buffy by showing up. She remembered the look on his face when her mom had explaned to him who she was and who her father was. It was anger and confusion and hurt all at the same time. He, of course, was not the Angel she'd met, and she realized she would have to see that face again, today.  
She began to explain to both of them why she was there and what she was suposed to do.  
"I'm here to change the future...make it better by changing certain moments at this time. The catch, I can only tell you certain things and nothing else..." she stated, while begining to pace the room between the two vampires.  
"What are you aloud to tell us?" Angel asked, finally getting the lump in his throat under control.  
"That's another catch..." she continued, "I'm only aloud to tell you, when the time of said moment comes..."  
"Bollocks..." Spike said quietly.  
"Are you even human?" Angel asked, feeling very confused.  
"More or less..." she replied, stopping her pacing and looking at him.  
She hopped up to sit on the edge of Angel's desk before she continued.  
"I mean, I have very strong hearing that mom says I got from you," she added nodding toward Spike, "and I'm pretty stronge..." pause, "and I can sense danger..." pause again, "I'm pretty sneaky, too," grins, "...but definately human..."  
"Looks like something got a taste of you..." Spike comented noticing two slight, circular scars on her neck.  
"Yeah, something tried..." she replied rubbing her neck.  
Spike smiled to himself. "She has Buffy's attitude..." he thought, "I'll give 'er that much..."

**-Twenty Questions and Some Karaoke-**  
  
Later that day, Angel watched Spike and Alex through the glass as they fought in the training room. Spike had decided to see exactly what kind of fighter a slayer/vampire mix was. Spike of course was winning due to his experience fighting Buffy, but Alex wasn't too far behind. They were learning from each other. Angel was still shook up by the whole matter. He knew Buffy would eventually move on...but to Spike? It was too much for him to handle, so he walked away, heading for his office.  
"Now when I do this, you?" Spike asked and he swung a kick at her head.  
She ducked and did her own circle-kick at his stomache, causing him to keel over for a brief moment before he regained himself.  
"Good..." he replied smiling, "You're pretty good."  
"You're not that bad yourself, Spiky!" she said with a smirk.  
Angel sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He doesn't even notice Lorne's entrance into the room until he speaks.  
"Hey, Angel-cakes, why so blue?" he asked sitting in the chair opposite Angel.  
His head raised up to look at him.  
"Nothing..." Angel said then tried to take Lorne's attention off of him, "Did you hear about Alex?"  
"Oh, you know, some gossip here and there..." Lorne replied, going straight back to his question, "Is that it. Alex?"  
"...Sort of..." Angel said leaning back in his chair and giving in to the question, "More so about..."  
"Buffy and Spike?" Lorne finished as Angel trailed off.  
"...Yeah..." Angel sighed, "I just can't believe that that's who she 'moves on' to..."  
"Well, maybe it's just how it's suposed to be..." Lorne stated.  
Angel looked at him again.

"You're suposed to make me feel better," Angel thought to himself, "That's what you've always done..."

He thought for a moment, though, and considered it for a moment.  
"Maybe you're right..." he replied sadly.

Lorne later walked to the training room and burst into fits of laughter at the sight. Spike had Alex in a headlock and she was trying her best to break free.  
"That's not fair..." he heared Alex yell to Spike through the glass, "You cheated!"  
"Hello? vampire!" Spike replied finally letting her free.  
Lorne entered the training room and broke up the 'fight'.  
"Okay you two," he chuckled, "It's fun and games now but just wait 'til there's an eye rolling around..."  
Spike and Alex stopped to look at him.  
"Oh c'mon, spoil sport," Spike joked.  
"I'm Alex," she said holding out a hand to him.  
"Hi, dumpling, I'm Lorne," he replied shaking her hand, "I've been hearing a lot about you around here..."  
She smiled, "None of it's true!"  
Lorne grinned but then moved on to Spike.  
"Angel wanted her to sing for me..." he stated as if asking permission.  
"Sing?" she asked confused.  
"Oh, Lorne here, can read your soul when you sing..." Spike explained, "You know, tell your future..."  
"Oh..." she replied, "...What do I have to sing?"  
"Anything you want, dumpling," Lorne answered, "just sing what you feel..."  
She nodded and thought for a moment and then opened her mouth to let out one of the most beautiful voices they'd ever heared.  
"I surrender everything to feel the chance to live again," she sang, "I reach to you...I know you can feel it too. We'd make it through a thousand dreams, I still believe. I'd make you give them all to me. I'd hold you in my arms and never let go. I surrender..."  
"Wow..." was all Spike could say.  
"Beautiful..." Lorne said to her and then turned to Spike, "She's definately not evil and she's telling the truth about you and Buffy and everything..."

**-Watch Over Me As I Sleep-**  
  
"Where's she gonna sleep?" Wesley asked, standing in Angel's office.  
"Could she stay with you?" he asked Wesley right back.  
"No," he answered, "I've got a ton of work to do and I'm going to be up all night..."  
"Well, how about you?" he then asked Gunn.  
"Hey, I don't even know the girl..." he replied, "and besides, I'm not getting stuck with babysitting duty..."  
"She can stay with me..." Spike piped up from the corner.  
"Okay..." Angel said, ready to get this over with.  
"That seems to be the most logical conclusion," Wesley added, "I mean, she is Spike's-"  
Wesley stopped as Angel shot him a warning look that told him that was a tender subject.  
"Right..." Spike said catching the message also, "I'll get her and head out..."  
He walked out of the office, aware of every step and yet unaware of where his destination. He hadn't seen Alex since Lorne had left the training room and she had gone to pester Harmony. He looked over to her desk but no Alex. Then he decided to check the training room again and there she was. She was beating a punching bag like her life depended on it's destruction. He then noticed that she had tears in her eyes and was using violence as a way of letting out her frustrations, something Buffy had done. At least Alex wasn't using him instead of that punching bag.  
"Angel...you can't be mad at Alex because of who her parents are..." Wesley said after Gunn had left.  
"I'm not mad at her. I'm just..." he started, "It's just...evertime I look at her is another reminder of Buffy...and spike...together...It's driving me insane!"  
"I can see that..." Wesley said looking at Angel's hand.  
Angel looked down also to see that he had hit the table when he said that last part and left a dent in it. His face changed to that of concern and he loosened his fist, raising his hand up to look at it.  
Spike walked into the room and stood watching her for a few minutes before she noticed him.  
"You okay with stayin' at my place tonight?" he asked casually.  
"If you're okay with that..." she replied, pulling her right arm across her chest with her left arm to stretch.  
"'Course," he replied, "we'll leave when you're ready."  
"okay," she replied looking around, "...ready!"  
He smiled and lead her out to the parking lot.  
"Hmmm...What say we take the vipor?It's Angel's favorite," he grinned, "Then he can't use it 'til I decide to give it back..."  
"Sounds like a plan," she replied flashing him a smirk.  
The two jumped into the car and spead away noisilly. They slowed down after a minute and Spike noticed how she hadn't flinched the whole time he'd been speeding. "How could she trust someone she barely knew," he thought but then remembered, "...she does know me...but how much?"  
"...Do I live with you and Buffy?" he asked, needing to know more.  
"...no..." she replied feeling that he wasn't going to settle for just that, "You actually don't know about me. Me and mom think you're dead...but you're not..."  
Spike started to ask where he was and then realized, "I'm still here aren't I?"  
She nodded.  
"I'm sorry..." he said after a minute of silence.  
"For what?" she asked turning to him.  
"You know...If I hurt you..." he said looking away, "I'm sorry..."  
They arrived at his place and he got her situated in his room and advanced to the couch. After about two hours of info-mertials, he got up and quietly walked into the room. He sat in a chair beside the bed and watched her as she slept. The only movement she made was the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She looked like an angel laying there, her hair shining in the moonlight, her skin illuminated... "How could this beautiful creature be mine?" he thought to himself, "She needs me...and I'm going to help her in any way I possibly can..."

**-Undying Love-**  
  
The two blondes entered the building early the next morning before sunrise. Spike entered his office and took a seat at his desk, followed by a yawning and sleepy looking Alex who flopped into the chair across from him. She pulled her knees to her chest and onto the chair, wrapping her arms around them. Spike peeked at her over the folder in his hands to see her absentmindedly twirling her hair between her fingers. She looked up to meet his stare after a minute.  
"What?" she asked as a grin crossed her face.  
"Nothing..." he chuckled, "It's just...you looked just like Buffy when you did that..."  
"I did?" she asked smiling at the compliment.  
"...Yeah," he replied, smiling to himself as a picture of Buffy appeared in his mind.  
The office door opened and Wesley walked in, ruining the moment.  
"Oh, hello. You must be Alex, I'm Wesley," he stated extending a hand to the girl.  
"Nice to meet you..." she replied with a smile.  
He turned to Spike and added, "Angel called a meeting in his office...and he asked me to make sure you were planning on paying attention this time..."  
Spike rolled his eyes.  
"Tell 'im I will if he says something interesting for a change..." Spike replied coyly.  
Wesley aloud a small smile to appear on his face before exiting the office. Spike stood up and walked around the desk.  
"You can go to the training room if you want, or talk to Lorne...he doesn't usually come to the meetings," he started, "I shouldn't be too long...Harm'll get you a soda if ya wan'-"  
"I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself..." she smiled, "I'll be fine."  
He walked to the door and gave her a smirk.  
"Keep talkin' to me like that and I might not be too nice next time," he said jokingly before leaving towards Angel's office. She walked out of the office a few minutes later and decided to go to the training room. She stopped infront of the glass as she saw the same blue-haired woman/demon inside, starring into space. Alex stood watching her for about four or five minutes before going in. Illyria turned around to face her and tilted her head to the side as she studied the girl before her.  
"You've suffered a loss..." Illyria spoke to the girl.  
"...Yeah...how did you know that?" Alex asked, hoping the demon before her wouldn't tell anyone.  
"The grief is all around you..." Illyria said beginning to circle her, "Who was it?"  
"...my mother..." Alex said finally, "she was out patrolling alone and a vampire killed..."  
Alex felt that even if she didn't feel she could trust this woman, Illyria would have ways of finding out anyway. Alex fell silent as a memory of her mother and her on her birthday popped into her head.  
"...You loved her?" Illyria stated, shaking Alex from her thoughts. Alex looked up to see Illyria again.  
"Yeah..." she replied, "Very much..."  
"What is that like?" Illyria asked again.

"...Love?" Alex confirmed. Illyria nodded slightly in return.  
"...painful..." Alex stated simply but followed up on her answer, "...but also wonderful...it's so many things at once that you couldn't really explain it properly to someone who's never felt it."  
Spike sat at the table and listened as Angel talked about the girl whom Alex and himself had walked in on in one of Angel's meetings. She was being chased by a demon...Angel was getting Wesley to research it. Then, Angel started a new topic. Alex.  
  
**-An Unexpected Visitor-**  
  
"What are we planning to do about her?" Angel asked the group.  
"What do you mean 'do about her'?" Spike asked defensively.  
"Well, we have to find out what she is..." he started, turning to look at Spike to his left, "What she can do."  
"She's told us already," he replied simply.  
"How do we know if we can believe her?" Angel said as more of a statement than question.  
"Well...I..." Spike started, knowing there was no way of explaining the feeling he felt about her to him.  
"I think we should test her," Angel said turning away from Spike and to the rest of the table.  
"She's just a li'l girl..." Spike spoke up again.  
"Just a little girl?" Angel asked, "Spike, she came here from the future!"  
"...She's Buffy's kid..." Spike added causing Angel to shift in his seat, "What do you think she'd do if she knew you were planning on experimenting with her daughter?"  
Angel fell silent.  
"She's here to help us..." Spike added.  
"She's here to help you," Angel snapped. He realized his hold on his tempor had slipped and soon regained himself.

"Why do you let yourselves love if it causes you such grief?" Illyria asked tilting her head to the side.  
"It's not really something you let happen," Alex started, sitting on the top of a small set of drawers in the corner, "It's something that's unavoidable...and besides, the good parts are so good that you wouldn't trade anything for them..."  
Alex noticed the thoughtful look on Illyria's face and pittied her. She had never experienced love before...never felt that bond between someone else...  
"I'm sorry you have never gotten to experience it...it's a wonderful feeling..." she commented.  
"What is the point of love?" Illyria asked after a moment of silence, "What does it offer you?"  
"It offers you strength, compfort, hope...everything..." Alex answered, a tear forming in her eye.  
"I'm going to go check on Alex if there's nothing else," Spike stated, standing up.  
No one protested so he walked out. One sniff of the air and he could tell she was. Her scent was so familiar... He headed in the direction of her smell. "How dare he!" he thought to himself, "Who does he think he is??? Experement?!? I tell you, one of these days I'm gonna-"  
He rounded a corner only to see a familiar blonde woman.

"...Buffy?"  
  
**-A Slayer's Tears-**  
  
He ducked back behind the corner as she looked over to where he'd just been standing. He turned to his right and jumped as he came face to face with Alex.  
"You weren't lyin' when you said you were sneaky..." he stated, looking over his shoulder.  
"You have to go to her..." Alex replied simply.  
"Who? Buffy??" Spike asked, "Are you crazy? She thinks I'm dead!"  
"And she'll never know you aren't until you go to her," Alex finished. Spike looked around the corner again to see Buffy talking to Harmony.  
"I'm about 16 months old right now..." Alex added, her eyes softening. Spike turned back to her with a look of sympathy appearing on his face.  
"Spike..." Alex pleaded, "Just go to her...

"He looked back around the corner at Buffy and then back to Alex.  
"If it's what you want..." he said, "then I'll go..."

A smile widened across Alex's face and she grabbed Spike into a hug. He was a little taken aback but liked the warmth he felt in the embrace. Not body heat but an emotional warmth that he had only felt from one other person...Buffy. They pulled away after a moment and Alex flashed Spike an encouraging grin. He turned, took a deep breath, and headed towards her. Buffy's back had been turned toward him, but he saw her make a movement as she sensed a vampire was near. "She probably thinks it's Angel," he scoffed quietly to himself. Buffy felt a chill shoot down her spine and the hair on the back of her neck rose. She wanted to turn around but was frozen in that spot. Spike tries to say her name but can't find the words. Buffy quickly turns around to face him and tears fill her eyes at the sight.  
"...Buffy?" he finally says.  
Buffy opens her mouth to say something and closes it.  
"I wanted to tell you I was here so many times but..." he started but trailed off as he saw a tear fall down her cheek.

He was about to apoligize for causing her so much pain when Buffy threw herself against him in a hug. He was stunned at her reaction but then hugged her back. Alex began to tear up herself at the sight.  
"Spike, I thought you were dead!" Buffy exclaimed through sobs.  
"I was for a while..." Spike said thinking he'd explain later.  
"I was so scared..." she replied sniffing.  
"Of what, love?" he asked, pulling away to look at her.  
"...I thought you were dead..." she said and tears fell down her cheeks. Spike had an urge to hug her but was too afraid she would pull away and he couldn't take it if she pulled away...not like before.  
"You shoulda known I'd be back," Spike said with a forced smile, "I mean, since when have I ever left when anyone told me to."  
She smiled through her tears and that feeling of loss just melted away. Spike stepped forward carefully watching her reaction and pulled her into an embrace after seeing her step forward also. She let herself fall into that special place she always went to when met with that smell of cigarette smoke and wiskey wich she'd somehow become attached to.  
"Spike, there's something I have to tell you..." Buffy said coming back to reality, "and you probably aren't going to believe me, but I have to try to explain it to you..."  
"If you tell me it's true I'll believe it..." he wispered into her ear in that smooth voice that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, "no matter what it is...you know that right?"  
"I know..." Buffy replied and they walked into an empty office.  
Alex walked over to the door of the office and listened carefully. Her father's enhanced hearing came in handy in times like these. She listened and could hear her mom saying something to Spike. Tears fell down her cheeks as she heard Spike's reply.  
"I have a daughter...I'm a dad..."  
She slowly walked away from the door, wiping away the tears that had fallen. She saw Angel approaching and stopped him as he started toward his office door.  
"Don't go in there right now..." she said still teary eyed, "please..."  
Angel nodded his head after a moment and walked off into the other direction, knowing who was in his office. He also knew that he had to give her time...if he didn't he would loose her. She was in love with Spike now, as much as it hurt him, and he had to let her move on...  
He looked back at where Alex was to find no one was there. He walked back over and saw a note on the ground where she'd been standing.  
It read:  
  
Thank you for being so generous and kind to me...I'll never forget that. Also, thank you for letting them be together and be happy. I love you all.  
Love always,  
Alexandra Joan Summers  
  
Angel looked around and then, after finding no one, placed the letter in his jacket and walked away. The End.


End file.
